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Hello from Canton, MI

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RCanton:
Hello friends,

I have had a CPL since 2002 and would never have thought I would be open carrying. After randomly speaking with a store associate(a member of MOC) months ago, I did more research and attended a seminar. I have been Open Carrying since July 2013. I have had wonderful experiences with the public. I believe strongly that we must present ourselves in a very professional way and always be courteous to those who we may run into. This way, we are perceived in a positive way, rather than "that crazy guy with a gun!" I have answered many questions from the public, curious about my firearm. As a loving father of 2 young girls and a wife, I believe it is my moral obligation to protect my family.

I feel it is critical to stay fresh on the laws and to rehearse what you may tell someone/law enforcement, if you are stopped and questioned about open carry. Reasons why I open carry are simple: 1) I do feel it deters crime, as criminals tend to seek easy/soft targets rather than a man/woman with a pistol, 2) It is a great way to show and educate the public that good people do carry firearms, 3) It's a constitutional right, 4) It is very comfortable to carry a larger capacity pistol.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to reach out.

-Randy

TucTom:
Welcome Randy.

gryphon:
Welcome from Okemos, Randy.  :)

I, too, believe strongly that we must present ourselves in a professional way and always be courteous to those who we may run into.  Just coincidentally I read an interesting story last night.  It happened a number of years ago, but here it is:

+++++

When I first got my VA CHP I made the mistake of bringing it up to another couple of (I thought were) good friends one evening when we were going out to the movies. I thought they 'got it.

While we were in line waiting to get in, a couple of HS-aged 'homies' about 5-10 yds ahead of us were joined by a couple of buddies who wanted to join them in line. To their credit, the guys in line said no, not cool, go find you own place in line. The guys who wanted in started to jabber and horse around (noisey, but harmless), but my friend's candy-a$$ed suburban wife got scared and said, "You've got a gun, do something -"

Things got pretty quiet, pretty quick, all eyes on me . . . I said 'Shut-up Carol, line jumping isn't a shooting offense in VA' or something to that effect, the line jumpers kind of vaporized, and we suddenly had a bunch of elbow room.

RCanton:
Hi gryphon,

Thanks for sharing that story you read. Yikes! lol. Also, GO STATE! I read the last line of your post :).

-randy

harleyh77:
Welcome from Kalamazoo

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